Greene to test Cazenovia's field hockey team

When Cazenovia's field hockey team won the past two state titles, it did so with a dominant player and a tremendous supporting cast. Tori Widrick's scoring led the way when coach Lorraine Scheftic's team won the Class C crown in 2010 and Jillian Vogl did the honors in 2011.

If the Lakers are to have any chance of winning a third straight crown, they'll do so with a different approach.

The Lakers have pushed their record win streaks to 84 in league play and 40 overall in going 19-0 heading into Saturday's state quarterfinal showdown with perennial Section IV juggernaut Greene. They've done so with four players reaching double digits in scoring. Rachel McLaughlin lead the way with 14 followed by Jessy Silfer and Emily Willard with 12 apiece and Sarah Willard with 11.

"You can't focus on one person on our team," Scheftic said. "Quite a few can score and play defense. We have more balance."

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And there's balance behind the big score scorers. Ashley Kent has eight goals along with Rachel Nourse, Nicole Chiarello has six and defender Maggie Carpenter has five.

Silfer ranks third in Section III for assists with 12 and Sarah Willard and Nourse are tied for 11th with seven.

Goalie Lauren Devine has allowed just six goals for one of the best save percentages in the section.

Those are impressive numbers from a program with an impressive run of seven straight Section III titles to go with the two state crowns.

But the noon showdown on Saturday at Cicero-North Syracuse is against a program with an even longer tradition of winning and that notched overwhelming wins it its last two playoff games. Coach Sue Carlin's 16-0 team whipped Whitney Point 5-1 in the Section IV semifinals then blanked former state champion Marathon 4-0 in the Section IV title game. The Trojans have played up in sectionals in most years, often in Class A, but this fall they're in C like all their other sports and someone's hot streak is bound to come to an end.

Greene's hot streak is, perhaps, more impressive than Cazenovia's. The Trojans have six state titles, the last coming in 2009 in Class A. And Greene has reached the Class A state semifinals every year since 2008 and last took a loss in state tourney quarterfinal play in 2007.

"We like to pass the ball and find the open players" Carlin said as she prepared her team for what may be its toughest game of 2012. "I expect it to be a great game. They're very balanced and they're good passers."

Sophomore goalie Julia Amell has allowed just three goals this fall, so the Lakers will need to be at their best on offense to have a chance. Defensively, Scheftic's team must focus on leading scorers Jhana Driscoll (19 goals, 15 assists), Emily Conroe (9-10) and Emma Anderson (8-9). Like the Lakers, there are a handful of other players who have scored for the Trojans and could factor into the outcome.

"I know they're a very good team," Scheftic said of the Trojans. "You have to play your best at this point. Whoever doesn't have a good game is going to get beat. They're definitely in the tournament every year. Whoever has ball control will win.

"(Greene) is experienced, but so are we."

If Cazenovia advances, there's a good chance it will play a familiar foe. Last year the Lakers edged Section II champion Greenwich in the quarterfinals. The Witches defended their titles last week and face Section IX champion Pine Plains in the other state quarterfinal game in the upper bracket.

The lower bracket finds Section V champion East Rochester facing Section VI champ Barker. The champs from Long Island sections VIII and XI have not been crowned but when they do they'll face each other in the last quarterfinal game.